I HAVE PEOPLE COME TO ME ALL THE TIME,SAME STORY,"I SAW AN AD,I WENT TO -? MART,I SAVED AND I BOUGHT AND AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS IT TURNED BLACK."CAN I EVER BUY JEWELY THAT WILL LAST FOR ME?"

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I TELL THEM IS ,KNOW WHAT THE AD SAYS.,AND KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.

IF YOU WANT GOLD AND CANT AFFORD GOLD,LOOK FOR GOLD PLATED,(BUT WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON DOESNT KOW IS=THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN GOLD PLATING.--IF AN AD SAYS 10KGOLD PLATING,OR 18K,OR 24K,-NONE OF THAT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE---,IT'S HOW MANY TIMES IT IS PLATED THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.SO IF YOU SEE AN AD THAT SAYS 10K GOLD PLATING,OR 24KGPL,OR 18KGPL.DOESNT MEAN MUCH,UNLESS THEY TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES IT WAS PLATED.-THEN,YOU LOOK FOR THE "MILLS",AND SOME WILL SAY 40MILLLS,80 MILLS,100 MILLS,-OK,THAT'S A START.,BUT IN MOST STORES,SAD TO SAY,LIKE DISCOUNT ?MART OR ADS IT WILL ONLY SAY GOLD PLATED,I CAN TELL YOU NOW,RUN LIKE HELL.IT WILL TURN BLACK AND YOUR MONEY IS WASTED.

YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW --WHAT DID THEY PLATE IT OVER?--WAS IT BRASS,NICKLE,PEWTER,SILVER?????,SAD TO SAY MOST CHEAP ADS SAY "GOLD PLATED" AND THATS ALL YOU GET--RUN AWAY.

SO YOU ARE POOR,I GREW UP MY WHOLE LIFE POOR AND I MADE UP MY MIND,IF I BOUGHT JEWELRY,IT HAD BETTER LAST,AND YOU DONT HAVE TO SPEND A FORTUNE FOR GOOD JEWELY IN TODAY'S WORLD.

A FEW TIPS HERE,

MAKE SURE AD SAYS WHAT IT IS PLATED OVER,LIKE TECHNIBOND SAYS 40 MILLS OVER STERLING,THAT;S GOOD(JUST DONT SUBJECT IT TO CHEMICALS OR EVEN IT WILL TURN ORANGE)

SEE IF THEY SAY HOW MANY MILLS,THINK OF IT LIKE THIS,(FOR EVERY MILL IS HOW MANY TIMES THEY DIP IT)-NOT SCIENTIFIC,BUT JUST A WAY FOR YOU TO REMEMBER THINGS.

IF THEY DONT SAY WHAT IT IS PLATED OVER OR LAYERED OVER OR HOW MANY MILLS-RUN TO THE NEXT EXIT.

I STILL DONT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY,BUT IF I LOOK I CAN FIND GOOD JEWELY,SOMETIMES MUCH LESS THAN SO CALLED?MARTS, OR  ADS.

ALSO KNOW YOUR STONES,REAL,CREATED,SIMULATED(,PLEASE READ MY OTHER REVIEWS.)

ALSO BE SMART,IF YOU TUNE IN TO A TV SHOPPING NETWORK AND THEY SAY "PLATINUM OVER SILVER"-LISTEN ! PLATINUM IS FOR SHINE ,BUT IF IT IS ONLY DIPPED ONCE,,THAT WONT LAST,SO DONT PAY EXORBITANT PRICES FOR BASICALLY SILVER--.THEN AGAIN IF THEY SAY 100 MILLS OVER STERLING,THEN BABY ,THAT IS A NICE RING.

LET ME PUT IT TO YOU LIKE I USE TO BE,DIRT POOR AND HAD A FEW BUCKS BUT REALLY WANTED SOMETHING NICE-GO FIRST FOR STERLING SILVER,IT LAST A LIFETIME,NEVER RUST,CAN BE PASSED OFF AS WHITE GOLD, VERMEIL-IT IS MORE HEAVILY COATED THAN GOLD PLATED,THIRD, CHOICE,GO FOR GOLD FILLED,IT HAS MORE GOLD THAN GOLD PLATED,AND NEVER USE CLOROX OR STRONG CHEMICALS AROUND ANY OF IT,TAKE YOUR RINGS OFF IF CLEANING OR AROUND CHEMICALS AND THEY WILL SERVE YOU PRETTY WELL.GOOD CHOICES ALSO INCLUDE TECHNIBOND,AVON,VINTAGE AS SARAH COVENTRY,TRIFARI,AND MOST VINTAGE BEFORE 1960.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME,I HOPE I HAVE HELPED,I AM ALMOST 70YRS. AND HAVE BOUGHT AND SOLD A LOT OF JEWELRY.THANK YOU.